Ok, I'm doing my first wedding cake (4 tiered) and of course, very nervous. So, I'm planning and thinking things through as much as possible to be prepared. I have gone back and forth on when to stack the cakes.....at home or at the reception site?? If I do it at home, I would insert 1 long dowel rod all the way down the centers of cake for extra stabalizing. Plus, this would allow me to do all the buttercream dots at home and I think this would be easier. The reception site is only like 15 mins from my house. OR, do I stack when I get there but, have all those little buttercream dots on each tier already done before stacking??? HELP!! I have only stacked a 3 tiered cake at home and traveled and it did fine. suggestions, please!

Can you lift a 4-tier cake, or do you have someone who can? I think that would be my first concern. Second, is the space in your delivery vehicle (in my case, the trunk of my car) tall enough to accomodate the height of the final cake? I generally stack no more than two tiers before delivery and the rest there, just for these two reasons. After that, it's just a question of preference, I think.

I spent decades assembling cakes on site (until I came to CC and learned the dowel-down-the-center thing).

I always had the cakes completely decorated, except for maybe the border. Assembled on site. Added a quick border, if needed. Takes 10-15 minutes tops.